. >> reporter: from georgia to oklahoma to california. the deep discounts this holiday weekend brought out the worst in some shoppers across the country. but for retailers who jump-started the shopping season early on thanksgiving day, a huge success, raking in $59 billion, up almost $7 billion from last year. black friday, good or bad, isn't the indication of how retail will fair for the year, but it's a good sign the consumer has shown up. >> reporter: according to national retail federation, shoppers are more conscious of how they're spending their money. two out of three people using cash or debit cards instead of credit. did you go shopping on friday at the big retail stores? >> we did not. i did a little online shopping, and that's it. >> reporter: for the first time ever, national retail federation says more people chose to shop online than in stores, with cyber sales up 21% from last year, breaking a new record, topping $1 billion. many of those websites are offering free shipping. it may pay to keep an eye out for deliveries to y